The Optimist's Telescope by Bina Venkataraman

THE OPTIMIST'S TELESCOPE by Bina Venkataraman begins with a story about not treating a rash and subsequently having to deal with the effects of a tick bite; as the author says, “Smart people make reckless decisions, despite clear warnings.” Venkataraman, currently director of Global Policy Initiatives at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, explores why “sometimes people, businesses, and communities do avert crisis and act for the sake of the future” when others fail to do so. The author encourages long term thinking versus settling for immediate gratification or short-term decisions. She surveys a variety of case studies, including increased flooding and natural disasters sparked by hurricanes and climate change, or financial decisions, or historical events, like the Cuban Missile Crisis. Our students and teachers will appreciate the comfortable, conversational tone of this text. In one example, the author describes how college students react after seeing virtual reality avatars of their older selves. Later, Venkataraman includes a section on war games that refers to their “long history of shaping military history” and of including a “twist” so as to “explore what decisions they [players] would make when caught by surprise and what potential downside or upside consequences could emerge.” THE OPTIMIST'S TELESCOPE, subtitled “Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age,” is a thoughtful text worth perusing; it includes detailed notes and a helpful index.

See Jane Win by Caitlin Moscatello

SEE JANE WIN by Caitlin Moscatello deals with candidates, their campaigns, and the victories for women in American politics between the Spring of 2017 and now. Moscatello, a journalist who writes frequently about gender and reproductive rights and politics, chose to profile four women: Abigail Spanberger (running for Congress in Virginia); Catalina Cruz (a Columbian-born Dreamer running for state assembly in New York); Anna Eskamani (running for state office in Florida); and London Lamar (seeking a seat in Tennessee’s state house).  In general, this is not a “how-to” book, but rather a (sometimes surprisingly dry) chronicle of events with some limited analysis that is based primarily on a string of interviews. Roughly ten percent of this text is devoted to notes and index, although it would have been helpful if Moscatello had also added contact information for the many organizations (IGNITE, Running Start, Onward Together, Emerge America, Run for Something, Latino Victory, etc.) that she mentions. I honestly thought that the presentation at our school by one of the organizers of the Woman’s March in Chicago was more impactful for students. However, SEE JANE WIN received a starred review from Kirkus and Booklist recommended it for teens, saying, “Politically engaged teens of all genders will be drawn to these inspirational women's stories and the ups and downs of running for office.”

The Rabbit Effect by Kelli Harding

THE RABBIT EFFECT by Kelli Harding describes how to “Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness.” Harding, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and emergency room doctor, sought to explore the question: “What are we missing in medicine that’s crucial to health?” and was inspired to write this book by a 1978 study which showed that rabbits who were treated more kindly by attendants had better health outcomes, despite being fed the same high-fat diet as others. Harding traces work that supports the holistic view that “a person’s health occurs in a social context that cannot be ignored” and argues that “two halves [medicine and public health] needed unification with a common language” since “the vast majority, 80 to 90 percent, of people’s health depends on factors outside clinical care.” Her book spends several chapters discussing hidden factors (for example, in our intimate relationships, our work, our education and neighborhoods) as well as the essentials of health, both individually and collectively. In a very accessible style, Harding recounts numerous scientific experiments and other anecdotes; raising questions (e.g., if genetics are fixed, why was love changing personality?) and offering “toolkit” suggestions for action by her readers. Although THE RABBIT EFFECT has no index, Harding does include almost 30 pages of source notes. This encouraging text will be of interest to AP Psych classes, perhaps to some of our anatomy students, and also relevant to this year’s professional development on social emotional learning, especially in conjunction with other titles like The War for Kindness or The Telomere Effect.  

A Better Man by Louise Penny

I have posted frequently about Louise Penny’s series of mysteries featuring Armand Gamache from the Quebec village of Three Pines. Her latest, just published this week, is titled A BETTER MAN and focuses on what is likely to be the last case shared by Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir due to the latter’s move to Paris. There are numerous references to past events in the series, especially concerning Gamache’s career and Clara’s progress as an artist, and it is a wonderful adventure to join familiar characters in the small Quebec village. That community once again holds together in the face of threatening natural disaster and psychological pummeling for its inhabitants.  Also tested are the professional relationships between Beauvoir (now commanding his former mentor), Gamache, Isabelle Lacoste, and others.  All of this is deftly developed and portrayed by Penny against the background of a case involving spousal abuse and the tragic death of a young, pregnant woman named Vivienne. As always, I am highly recommending this mystery series by an award-winning author.  Booklist, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly all gave A BETTER MAN starred reviews.